Undertale: New Home High
by LethalAurora
Summary: An AU where monsters were not banished to the underground, but rather, live in their own restricted areas. The relationship between monsters and humans is tense, and the two races mostly keep to themselves, so what happens when a runaway human child gets adopted by monster parents and enters a new school filled with many strange and quirky monsters?


_**Prologue: The human Child**_

A storm was raging in the town of Ruins, dense clouds covering up the evening sky. It was so dark that one might mistake the time to be nightfall, despite the clock currently resting on seven p.m. Thunder clapped and crackled through the air and wind howled like a wolf out on a hunt. Rain was thick heavy and cold, making life for whomever was still out and about that much harder.

"It has not come down this hard in years…."

A soft voice spoke up, the owner looking through the window to inspect the weather. She leaned forward and glanced up at the sky, as if trying to find a crack of light between the dense clouds. Suddenly, lightning flashed in the sky, thunder roaring along only a split moment after. Surprised, the woman tensed and pulled back out of reflex. She had lost her footing, but luckily for her, she was caught just in time.

"Careful, Tori. "

The larger man smiled kindly at her as he helped her back on her feet.

"I am fine, thank you Dreemurr."

Toriel returned the smile, but only briefly, before looking out the window again as concern crept onto her face.

"There is nothing to worry about. It's just a little bad weather, is all."

Asgore tried to reassure his wife as he placed his paws onto her shoulders, causing them to relax just a bit. The man rested the side of his face next to the other's head, careful as to not put actual weight on it. The two shared a few quiet moments like this, nothing but the sound of rain outside filling the air. Eventually, Toriel gave a defeated sigh.

"I… suppose you are right. It is just that…"

Tori lowered her gaze from the sky and stared vacantly into the murky distance.

"The last time it rained like this… "

The woman then paused and tensed, her eyes spotting something.

"Asgore, oh goodness, Asgore! There is someone outside!"

The monster jerked his paws back as his wife fled to the door, giving him little time to comprehend the situation.

"T-tori, hold on! You're probably seeing things! No one would be outside in this weather!"

He called out after the goat woman, but she ignored his protests and unlocked the door, rushing out into the cold rain.

"Tori! Come back!"

Asgore yelled after her in vain, as the woman proceeded to run towards the spot she saw earlier. Her heart was pounding rapidly, but for what reason she did not know. Was it excitement? Fear? Something about all this felt nostalgic, but also uneasy. Hesitance started to fill her mind as she approached the area, but her legs did not give into the doubt. Toriel was certain she had seen someone around here just a moment ago. A small figure, a tiny frame, one that could belong to a…

"Child!"

Toriel exclaimed as she looked down under the Oak tree, seeing a small, frail creature, soaked to the bone and passed out from exhaustion. It felt like her heart stopped as she just stood there, watching the other in disbelief.  
It was no ordinary child, it was a human child.  
Memories… thoughts and emotions flowed through Toriel at that moment as her eyes started to dampen.

"My poor child…"

She whispered soothingly. Her voice cracked a bit. Emotions were raging inside of her. Fear and hesitance were putting shadows around her heart, but compassion won over them in the end. Toriel knelt down, picking up the frail body of the small human.

"You are so cold… but worry not, little one, you are safe now."

Toriel smiled in a bittersweet manner, holding the child close. She embraced them tenderly, as hot tears ran down her cheeks, melting into the cold droplets of the rain. The goat woman just stood there, hunching a bit so that the rain would no longer land on the child, but making it easier for herself to become soaking wet.

"Tori! Toriel! "

A voice echoed through the rain, getting louder as Asgore approached. He was holding two umbrellas. They were both a bit too small for monsters of their size, but something was better than nothing.

"Tori, don't worry me like that! You ran out into the rain without even taking an umbrella with you… "

The goat man spoke softly as he held one of them over his wife.

Toriel slowly looked up at Asgore, her eyes glossy and lips trembling. Without a word she held up the child just a bit, enough for Asgore to clearly see what it was. The man's eyes widened in shock and his grip on the umbrella loosened. An expression of fear washed over his face, dread and anger soon following.

"Toriel…"

His voice deepened as the grip on the umbrella became more firm. He spoke calmly, but with a stern voice.

"We can't…."

"But what is the alternative, Asgore? We cannot just leave them here, out in the rain…"

The man turned his gaze away, his paw now trembling.

"Toriel, we can't… not again. "

"We cannot return them, you know that, and leaving a child alone like this… is this who you have become, Asgore Dreemurr?"

The woman frowned sternly at the other, causing him to flinch. There was awkward silence between the two until Asgore finally broke it.

"Let us go inside and think about this then… It's not going to help anyone if we catch our deaths out here."

Agreeing to the temporary truce, Toriel nodded and held the child closer to herself before the two started to walk towards their home. It was a short, silent walk. The two avoided eye contact, as conflicted feelings boiled within both of them. Neither of them knew what the best decision was and that fact wouldn't change once they pass the threshold.

The two dripped onto the no longer dry floor of their kitchen, still silent. Asgore moved to put the umbrellas away while Toriel just stared quietly at the sleeping human. She smiled softly, realising that the child hasn't stirred throughout the whole ordeal. They must be extremely exhausted. Upon realising this, her smile quickly faded.

"Toriel, about the child…"

"We are keeping them."

The goat woman was quick to put her foot down, despite the troubled expression on the other monster's face.

"Tori, at least hear me out."

"There is nothing to listen to. This child is lost, alone, exhausted and most likely starving. There are no decent options other than keeping them."

"But why is the child here in the first place? Did you think about that? We are a long ways away from any human areas. They didn't just… fall from the sky! They must be here for a reason."

"They are only a small child, Asgore. Even humans are not so heartless as to let a child do something as cruel as what you must be thinking of."

Toriel frowned at the other again and once more silence stood between them. Neither of them were happy with this situation, but both were too stubborn to let it go just yet. This time Asgore did not look away from Toriel's glare, their eyes locked.

"Tori, please… There is no way we can do this."

"Do not 'Tori' me when you are asking for something like this."

The woman finally turned away from the other and started walking out of the kitchen.

"T-toriel? Wait, we are not finished here!"

"The child is freezing. I will give them fresh clothes and put them to bed before they catch a cold. Once they awaken and we hear their story, we will decide what to do then. Is that agreeable?"

She spoke softer than before, her eyes looking sadly at the now slightly trembling frame of the human.

Asgore did not have the heart to argue with that. Or maybe his heart was too big to argue with that. Even if he did not wish to keep the child, he bore no ill will towards them. With a reluctant nod, the goat monster agreed to his beloved's terms.  
Toriel smiled just a bit and, without a word, went off to do as she had told.

The child had been so exhausted that it took them almost a full day to finally open their eyes.  
The sensation of a fluffy pillow and a warm blanket made it hard to keep them open, however. It was quiet, it felt safe. The child was ready to doze off once more, but a faint smell of pie filled their nostrils, causing their stomach to let out a loud growl. It had been a long while since they have eaten and the smell was too alluring to ignore.  
Quietly, the child got out of the bed and wobbled. The lightheadedness was new and their cheeks felt like they were on fire. Symptoms of a cold, the human was sure of it, but they weren't so bad as to prevent them from searching for that pie.  
The room was large, or rather, larger than what they were used to, but the generous slice of pie on the table stood out like a beacon. Smiling, the child carefully made their way to their prize and took it.

The journey back to the bed felt troublesome and they didn't want crumbs in their bed, so the child sat down on the floor and began stuffing themselves with the tasty treat. It was almost completely cold by now, but no less delicious. Within minutes, the large slice was gone. The child went so far as to even lick the plate clean.  
With their belly full, they realised another need; they were thirsty. The human got up to their feet once more and started heading towards the door when it suddenly opened.

"Oh!"

Toriel exclaimed in surprise when she saw the child up and about. She smiled kindly, but her expression quickly turned to that one of concern when the human fell backwards onto their rear and cowered at the sight of her. Clearly, this human had never seen a monster before.

"Fret not, my child. I am Toriel, I am here to help you."

She spoke in the kindest voice she could. Kneeling down to make herself smaller, she stretched out her paw towards the other.

"Come here, I promise I will not hurt you."

The child seemed hesitant as they pulled their legs closer to themselves and watched the other carefully. The human made no noise nor any effort to come closer to Toriel.

The goat woman sighed, pulling her arm back. Her gaze fell onto the empty plate on the floor and a small smile returned to her lips.

"I see that you have eaten the pie I had brought you. My, you seem to have even licked the plate clean. I cannot say anyone has done that before."

She chuckled softly then looked back at the human, who now seemed to relax just a bit. If this monster was the one who made the delicious pie, then they could not be all bad.

"Please, trust me when I tell you I mean you no harm. I brought you to my home to help you. "

The child looked a bit hesitant, but now that initial panic wore off, they could finally connect the dots. If the monster wanted to hurt them, they had had plenty of time to do so before the child woke up. Instead, the human woke up in a comfortable bed and was greeted with delicious pie.

Slowly, the child crawled closer to Toriel and hesitantly stretched out their arm, offering a handshake.

The goat lady watched the other curiously, but let out an amused chuckle when the child decided to greet her. Smiling, she carefully took hold of the tiny hand and shook it ever so softly.

"Thank you, little one, but please, let us get off of the floor. You are with a fever and I would rather you be warm in a bed. "

Toriel got up slowly then walked over to the child, picking them up carefully. She carried them to the bed and tucked them back in. The child seemed to sink back into the sheets rather happily, giving Toriel a small smile.  
Her heart warmed at the sight as her own smile grew. She knew that this was the right choice. Everything was worth it for the smile of this human child.

The child opened their mouth to speak, but only a dry cough escaped it, snapping Toriel back into reality.

"Oh, goodness, how careless of me. I should have brought you something to drink. Please, wait here."

With hurried steps, Toriel rushed out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. The human glanced briefly at the crack left open, but seeing nothing apart from a wall, they turned back to facing the ceiling and closed their eyes.  
Dim light emitted from the hallway, bathing their face in a yellow hue as they relaxed. The room went back to being quiet, with the tick of the clock being the only indicator that the room was still there. It was cosy here and the monster lady seemed kind. The human child smiled to themselves a little, starting to feel like perhaps this was the best place they could be at right now.

Just then, a shadow passed the hallway, blocking the yellow light briefly. The human opened their eyes to look, but the shadow was already gone. They heard heavy footsteps fade into the distance, however, meaning that someone else was with them. The child wasn't sure if they should be concerned, but chose not to worry for now. It was Toriel's house and considering how nice she had been so far, it was not likely she would keep the company of anyone scary.

Stirred from their sleepy state, the child decided to give the room a look around. They remembered that they had a backpack with them while travelling, but saw no sight of it in the room. It was either being kept somewhere else, or they had lost it by the time Toriel got to them. It was a bit of a shame to lose it, as they had some good things in it, but it wasn't a huge loss. Nothing to cry over, at least.

The goat woman soon returned with a cup of warm milk. She had added a teaspoon of honey into it, hoping that it would help the child with their cough.

"Here you go, little one. I hope it is not too hot."

She said, carefully handing the cup over.

The child took a sip to test it out and a large smile spread across their face. The milk with honey tasted really good and was of a perfect temperature. Just like the pie, the milk was gone rather fast, down to the last drop.  
Toriel reclaimed the empty cup then sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I am happy to see that despite your fever, you still have an appetite, little one. I worried that your condition might be more severe than it is."

She smiled kindly at the human, but it faded as she looked down. Her eyes landed on the empty cup, furry thumb tracing it's edges as she spoke up hesitantly.

"Tell me, my child, how did you end up outside our home? Humans almost never come this far. I am sure that, even one such as small as you, knows the situation between our kinds."

The child watched Toriel for a moment, not sure what to make of her sadness. They sat up slowly, debating on what exactly to tell her. After a pregnant pause, the human finally spoke up. They did not say much, only that they did not wish to go back from where they came from. This sparked more concern from the woman as she turned to face the human.

"But child, what about your family? Will they not be concerned?"

The human went quiet, looking away from the goat monster. A bitter expression plagued their face and Toriel instantly understood. She moved closer and pulled the smaller creature into a protective embrace.

"There there, little one… If you wish, this can be your new home."

The child felt a little conflicted. Living with a monster they barely knew? But the embrace was so comforting, so warm, they dared not to refuse. The human buried their face into the other's furry arm and nodded, smiling happily. Life here couldn't be much worse from before, could it?  
Toriel held the smaller one tightly, but carefully, like a precious fragile thing that she wished dearly to protect.

"Tell me, small one, what should I call you?"

The child looked up at the other and whispered their name, giving Toriel a soft smile before going back to hugging her. Their small arms clung tightly to the monster, making Toriel's heart quiver with mixed feelings. She felt great joy, but a fear did loom over her, much like the shadow from the hallway that now rested upon the frame of the two.  
Toriel looked up to see Asgore peeking quietly into the room. She gave him a fierce stare and pulled the human now known as Frisk close to herself, sending a clear message to her husband. The man frowned a little, but gave her a nod before retreating back to his room.

"Frisk, dearest one, you should get some rest for now. "

Toriel spoke up as she slowly pulled away.

"Once you are better, I will get you new clothes and supplies… and will enroll you to our local school. I know that this might be sudden, but education is important and should not be delayed. "

Frisk looked worriedly at the goat monster, not sure if they liked the sound of that. A school filled with only monsters sounded… dangerous. Reading the other's expression, Toriel gave a reassuring smile.

"Fret not, my child. I will look after you. After all, I am one of the teachers there. "

With that, Toriel stood up from the bed and gave Frisk a gentle pat on their head before leaving the room.

Frisk had a lot to think about, but that was going to wait, as the drowsiness from before returned and took the child away to the land of slumber.


End file.
